A s'more is a dessert in which a roasted marshmallow is sandwiched between two pieces of graham cracker together with chocolate. S'more is a contraction of the phrase “some more,” as may have been chanted at a campfire in the statement “I want s'more.”
Traditionally, s'mores have been a treat prepared on camping trips. Campers scrounge the ground surrounding their campsites for long sticks suitable for skewering one or more marshmallows. The marshmallow-bearing end is then disposed above a campfire and is typically rotated until it browns or catches fire or drops into the fire (requiring replacement—if more marshmallows are available). Each camper's technique and skill will vary and the results are unpredictable. The goal is to heat the marshmallow until it becomes soft inside. The softened marshmallow can then be pinched from the stick between two graham crackers to form a sandwich.
In the traditional s'more, pieces or even slabs of chocolate are placed on one or both graham crackers, with the heat from the roasted marshmallow partially melting the chocolate. In a non-traditional s'more (or when there is no chocolate remaining), a toasted marshmallow can simply be sandwiched between two graham crackers.
Another fireside technique is to assemble and wrap the s'more ingredients in aluminum foil and place the wrapped package among the hot coals to melt and soften. This process can be less messy, but it does not brown the marshmallow or allow any control over the cooking process. Additionally, it is not as much fun.
Some restaurants have arranged table-top devices which include a Lazy Susan, a set of skewers and a central fire pot fueled by a flammable material such as Sterno. These devices simulate the campfire experience, in part, but the skewers and fire can be dangerous for home use.
A number of appliances have been devised over the years to toast marshmallows, yet none have been adapted or have suggested mechanisms that are particularly suited for preparing s'mores. For example: Castronuovo, U.S. Pat. No. 3,744,403, discloses an electric marshmallow toasting device which rotates marshmallow-supporting skewers; Spurgeon, U.S. Pat. No. 1,111,870, describes a gas-burner arrangement for toasting marshmallows mounted on rotating skewers; and Martin, U.S. Pat. No. 2,232,400, describes a marshmallow toaster configured to toast multiple marshmallows at once and discharge them through a chute into a box for sale to the public at fairs, expositions and the like. As well, there are a number of supports known in the art for supporting marshmallows including: U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,009,796; 6,877,232; 5,906,052; 2,487,651; and 2,183,938 and U.S. Publication No. 2004-0061345.
A “marshmallow system” is described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,800,312 which proposes a marshmallow having a cavity that contains chocolate inside. The chocolate within makes retaining the marshmallow on a skewer difficult and so this specially configured food product introduces new complexities if it were utilized to make a s'more. On the other hand, layered cereal bars have been proposed which combine several ingredients including those found in a s'more, together with a synthesized milk flavor, into a finished product, as exemplified by U.S. Pat. No. 7,097,870. See also U.S. Pat. No. 5,500,234.
As a departure from traditional approaches to making s'mores, the present invention provides a mechanism and method adapted to assist in preparing a cooked s'more using conventional ingredients (marshmallows, chocolate bars, and graham crackers), which is ready to eat free of any packaging.